Method for the treatment of plants, parts of plants, and raw fibers



Patented ".'luly 18, 1933 has nnNDnIoUsrnANmor wAssEnAAn, 'NET HERI IANl DS v I nn'rnon FOR/THE TREATMENT or PLANTS, PARTsorfrLliNTs, RAW FIBERS, all,

m Draining", Application e filed December a, 1932, ser al 1 105541951, nd meanin 4 v i November 2, 1932. Y i

The invention relates to a method for matingplants, parts of plants and raw fibers;

Up until nowthe usual method' for recovering, fibers-from plants, such as flax, ramee and the like, consistedin that same were first 7 retted for several days, and then submitted to a lengthenedfmechanical treatment. Moreover, sometimes a lengthenedtreatment by matter. After "drying, these bundles of fibers are hard and stifl, and canonly be used j hand was required (fine fibers must be heckled); Finally a bleaching-"by various bleaching means took place remain only bundles of fibers, the inside and outside of whichlcontain rests of vegetable for very few -purposesQ, V,

Ifstarting from partsof plants,.1ikep1neapple-leaves,:same cannot'beftreated b maparts of lants and raw fibers, are first boiled, j

chine without enormouslosses of fibrous terial. I j a j I F The present invention has for its object m omit the 'retting, theltreatment "by' machine and by hand, and the 'subsequent bleaching of plants like flax.

A furtli 'r object is to im me the San suppleness joflthe mechanically treated fibers, like sisal :fibers, fresh conditiomand to thereby render same suitable for m e pua' Poses,

According, to i the invention it is also pos sible to defiber parts of plants, such as pineappleleaves, Without previous mechanical; treatment. 1 ,1": Nowthe invention consists inthat plants,

7. preferab y without any air being admitted,

40' ides, preferably potassium hydroxide, and

infan aqueoussolution of alkaline hydrox that then the material is successively treated in a hot or cold aqueous] solution of sulphuric acid, an'aqueous solutionofv alkaline hydrox' of a concentrationof 9-1073," Without any ides, preferably sodium hydroxide, and an aqueoussolution of an acid,,preferably hy clrochloric acid, the material being: washed? by water after-treatmentin each solution.

The invention is further explained by the following'examplez I tank and boiled for about minutes in an aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide,-

air being admitted, nnder ordinary pressure.

If s rting frdm egasisal fibers (nint have first been'lflmechanically treated), or

from fresh pine-apple leaves, the concentra 1 tionotthis bath'should be increased by 50%. Dur1ng'this boiling thefvegetable albumina undergo such a change, that contrary I much easier, because during the boiling the diffusing can easily be effected, The pectose tothe ordinary vegetable albumina,the'y dif 4 fuse through; the bastuf Moreover "th'e dif-Q" i fu'sin'g'ofthe albumina and of the p'eritos'anes', a m qel l seveget eigi meli V bl a, N I mucilage contained in the plants, rendered At present plants like sisal'are stripped by a a machine of their epidermis, and asmuch as possible of all vegetable matter,'so-that there which th Pl ts Q e filie b ch n e y theboll n fi tintop'araor meta -pectine",

then in'tojpara:or'ineta p'ectic acid, and part-f 1y 1 into para "or meta-pectate "of potassium,

which are partly soluble, and partlystill con-f" slst of insoluble gelatine. The fibers theme may be slightly attacked, the'boiling period,

and themass is washed byghot; water, till all rests of chemicals have been eliminated. 1 fj For the conversion of the remaining pectic acid or vthe pectates and v the silic'ic-acid-com pounds the mass istreated in ai'hotor cold ves (cellulose), have not injthefleast suf- I I TQd l ligthe-boiling, as first theiinpurifties arer attacked and beforef 'the cellulose" 1 is finishedf Novv the liquid is jeliminatedH aqueous'solution offsulphuric acid of a con-" centrat'ion of "about 1%,;du1ing aperiodfo f about hour, whereby "amongst others the silicate of lime, the pectatej offlime and the oxalate of limeare transformed intosulphate of lime, which is also less soluble,yand' into the respective free acids, whilst the para-"or meta-pectic materials are converted intopec tioacid. j i This liquid'is aliso eliminated andthefmass is Washed by hot water'm order to eliminate;

thechemicalsn b i a m to render'the pectic'acid soluble, i

aqueous solution with a concentrationoff In order the mass is treated for at least 1/ hour in an 3-12%-,of s odium hy'droxide accordingfto'f" the desired finenesslof the fibers, .vvhereby". i the 'pecticacid converted into a soluble a ,-@pectate; Dried flax" stalks are introduced into a News; liquid is againeliminated and'the;

inate the remaining chemicals. I

mass iswash'd by hot'waterinforderto elim; 4

phate of lime, otherwise diificult to dissolve,

of hydrochloric acid, wherein the sul- ,is'sufficiently soluble to be eliminated; Then the mass is washed by water. fThe fibers so obtained are perfectly pure and white, and

need not be subjected to a bleachin'gprocess; 'As they do no longer contain'any. substances that might cause decoloration, these fibers can be kept'for'an indefinite time, without their appearance undergoing any change.

' Further the; process according to the invention presents the advantage that. prac:

dicated'in the examples. plant families that maybev applied for the.

, 'What Iclaim is: I A method of treating plants and raw fibers, characterized, in that 7 tically nothing Or-th chemicals applied is lost, since the washing waters may after concentrat on be added again to the 'respec- Y tive baths, in order togive same the desired concentration;

As a matter of course the method is notlimited to the treatment of the materials in- Among the many method according to the invention, the following may amongst others be mentioned:

A'maryllidaceze, Cyclanthaceae, 'Legumino-f see, Moracea'e, Malvaceae, Lmaceae, 'Urticaceae,

Bromelia'ceae, Liliaceae, Gramineae, Palmae,

Asclepiadaceae, Tili'aceze, Musaceae, Thyp a;

cea'e, Apocynaceae, Umbelliferae, Juncaceae, Salicacem, Euphorblaceae, Bubiaceae, Anonaceae,-Stercul 1aceae, cortical fiber n general,

Pandanaceae.

plants, parts oi the said material is'first boiled in-an. aqueone solution of alkaline hydroxides, and that then the materialis successively treated in a hot or cold aqueous solution. of sulphuric.

acid, an aqueous solution ofalkal'inejhydrox ides'and an aqueous solution of an acid,the

material being washed by hot water after treatment in each solution.

, air being admitted, in an aqueous solution of potassiumhydroxide and that then the maide and an aqueous solution of hydrochloric afterltreatment in. each solution;

' 3. A method fortreating'plants, parts of plants and: raw. fibers, characterized in that the said material is first boiled, Without any terial is successivelytreated in'a hot or cold "aqueous solution of sulphuric acid, .an"aque ous solution of sodium, hydroxide and an aqueous solution of hydrochloric acid, the

' material being washed "by Water; after treat- I ment in each solution.- J

plants, parts of 4. A method for treating plants and raw fibers,.xcharacterized in that the saidmaterial is first boiled in an aqueous solution with a' concentration of 9-10 of po- I tassium hydroxide, andthat-thenthe material issuccessively treated in a hot or: cold aqueous solutlon of sulphuric acid, an aque ous solution of sodium hydroxide and an aqueous solution of hydrochloric acid', the

material being washed by water after treatmentin'each solution.

5. A method for treatingplants, parts of plants andraw fibers, characterized ingthat the said material is first'boiled in anaqueous solution with a"con'centration. .o 9 40% of potassium hydroxide and that then the material is successively. treated in a hot or cold aqueous solution with "a concentration lution of sodium hydroxide and an aqueous about 1%"of sulphuric acid, an aqueous sosolutionof hydrochloric acid, thematerial being washed water after treatment in each solution.-

, e. A method for 't solution withaboneentration of 9- 10% of potassium hydroxide and that then the ma-r terialis successively treatedin a hot or cold 1 ee p a r ts of f plants and rawfibe'ris, characterized in that a the said'material is first boiled in an aqueous I aqueous solution with a concentration of about 1% of sulphuric acid, an aqueous solu-'- tion v with a concentrationof about 34.12% of-sodium hydroxide. and an aqueous solution ofihydrochloric acid, the" material being. washed by water after treatment in each so lution. Y

" 7 A method. for. 'plants,,- parts of plants and raw fibers, characterized "in that the said material is firstboiled in an aqueous solution with a. concentration of 9.40% of potassium hydroxide and that then thema terial is successively treated ina hot or cold aqueous solution with concentration of about 1% of sulphuricacid, an aqueous so-' lution with a concentration of aloout3'-lf2,%

of sodium hydroxide and an aqueous solution with a concentration of about 43% of hydro-Y chloric acid,the material -being washed waterafter'treatm'ent in each s'.oluti'on,'

j 8; A. method for treating plants', partsof plants and raw .fibers, especially fresh sisalfibers, (-which,have first been mechanically treated) "or vfresh pineapple-leaves, char acterized in that the' said material is first boiled in an aqueous "solution of potassium hydroxide, the concentration of which depends upon the water-contents otthe. start-' ing material and that the material issue cessively treated in a hot or cold aqueous so lution with a. concentration, of about 1%" of sulphuric acid, an aqueous solutionf"with'a concentration of about 342% of'sodium hy idroxide and an aqueous solutionwith a con centration of, about ofhydrochlorie'acid,

the material being washed after" treatment in each solution; i 

